The present invention relates to telecommunication systems. The invention concerns a procedure and system for executing a personal alarm on a telecommunication terminal.
Personal safety is the object of increasing concern. An example is a DNA register designed for business executives, which has been developed in order that, in a capture situation, kidnappers need not cut any limbs to prove that a person has been captured. Ordinary citizens also often feel insecure. The telephone is a handy safety device, but e.g. in the event of a capture, it is not possible to call the police without the attempt being detected.
The object of the present invention is to eliminate the problem referred to above. A specific object of the present invention is to disclose a new type of procedure and system which can be used to make an alarm call without the caller or a person observing the call being able to realise that an alarm has been issued.
The invention concerns a procedure for executing a personal alarm function by means of a telecommunication terminal in a telecommunication system. The telecommunication system comprises a telephone network, a telephone exchange connected to the telephone network, an intelligent network element connected to the telephone network and a telecommunication terminal connected to the telephone network. In the procedure, a hidden mode is defined in conjunction with a call made from the telecommunication terminal. In the intelligent network element, the mode is verified, i.e. the actions carried out by the user are compared during the setup of each call. If the mode differs from the defined mode, then an alarm function is executed.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mode is defined as a safety code to be added in conjunction with the dialling of a telephone number. The safety code is preferably entered after a suitable number, e.g. after a complete telephone number dialled, or after each individual character or digit. In an embodiment, the safety code is input before a suitable digit, e.g. before the first digit of a telephone number or before a pre-agreed digit.
In an embodiment, the function works logically in the reverse order; an alarm is issued after the intelligent network element has detected a safety code. In this case, a safety code producing an alarm is added in conjunction with the dialling of a normal telephone number.
The verification of the mode can be managed by many different methods. In an embodiment, verification of the mode is activated and deactivated by means of the telecommunication terminal. Correspondingly, in an embodiment, activation and deactivation is accomplished via a WWW user interface.
In an embodiment, the alarm function implemented in the invention is an alarm call to an appropriate number, in another embodiment a paging message, and in yet another embodiment a short message. The above-mentioned alarm functions are optional, so in one embodiment the alarm function to be executed is selected on the basis of the safety code. The safety code is preferably removed from the call signalling before the call is directed to the public telephone network.
The invention also concerns a system for the execution of a personal alarm function by means of a telecommunication terminal in a telecommunication system as described above. The system of the invention comprises means for defining a hidden mode in conjunction with a call made from the telecommunication terminal, means in an intelligent network element for verification of mode during the setup of each call, and means for executing an alarm when the mode differs from the defined mode. The system preferably comprises means for defining as the mode the addition of a safety code in conjunction with the dialling of a telephone number.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system comprises means for identifying a safety code entered after a suitable digit. In an embodiment, the system comprises means for identifying a safety code entered before a suitable digit.
In an embodiment of the invention, the hidden mode defined is a traditional call, in other words, the system works logically in a reverse manner as compared with the action described above. In this case, the system comprises means for executing an alarm after the intelligent network element has detected a safety code.
In an embodiment, the system comprises means for activating and deactivating a mode verification function via a telecommunication terminal, in one embodiment via a WWW user interface.
The system may preferably comprise various alarm functions, e.g. an alarm call to an appropriate number, a paging message or a short message. Likewise, several different safety codes defined may exist simultaneously. In one embodiment, the system comprises means for selecting an alarm function based on the safety code. The system preferably comprises means for removing the safety code from the signalling before the call is directed to the public telephone network.
In the following, the invention will be described by the aid of a few examples of its embodiments with reference to the attached drawing, which presents a diagram representing an embodiment of the invention.
The procedure and system of the invention can be used to implement a service that allows the user of a terminal 1 to unnoticeably activate an alarm. The terminal may be any type of terminal equipment, such as a mobile telephone, a wired-network telephone, or a data terminal. In the invention, any call that differs from a normal call in a pre-agreed manner will trigger an alarm. The solution is based on a service e.g. in a telecommunication network in which every call made by the subscriber is monitored. If necessary, the service removes the safety code used in the call before passing the call further to the public telephone network. In other words, the call is always connected to a normally called number or to a number as interpreted after safety codes. An alarm is activated if the service detects a deviation from a pre-agreed call mode. For billing purposes, a call record is saved which contains the numbers needed for traffic dispatch without safety codes as well as data indicating whether the service has detected an alarm.
Several pre-agreed call modes can be used. In one solution, each call must contain a safety code to avoid activating an alarm. The safety code may be e.g. a series of digits or other codes, which must be placed before, after or in the middle of the dialled number, or it may be placed after certain digits. In another solution, an alarm is activated if the number contains a certain pre-agreed safety code.
Several types of alarm can be provided. Examples of possible alarm types are alarm call to the police, to a guarding firm, home, a paging message, an electronic mail message, a short message or a combination of these. If several codes are in use, then the user can select a desired alarm type if necessary.
The service can be activated or deactivated by the subscriber. Activation is accomplished by calling an appropriate service number or via a user interface in the WWW.
The invention can be implemented e.g. using intelligent network services (IN, Intelligent Network) or SN/IP base services (SN/IP, Service Node/Intelligent Peripheral).